TURKEY: PKK Status & more – 19th Mar 2024

Merhaba from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 19th of March twenty twenty-four A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

On Thursday the 14th, during the Second Security Summit in Baghdad between Turkish and Iraqi officials, the Iraqi National Security Council revealed that it will now classify the Kurdish Workers Party, or PKK as an outlawed organization, upping its threat level. The organization was previously labeled a common threat.

The PKK has been based in northern Iraq since the eighties, and now that the country sees the organization as an official threat, Iraq must oust the group from its territory and cease all associated activities. Both nations agreed to increase bilateral relations to fight against the PKK

Let’s move on to the Kanal İstanbul project… The controversial project has been in planning for the last few years despite the objections, saying that the government has a hidden agenda. Critics argue that the executive is attempting to gain more autonomy over the Bosphorus Strait by bypassing the Montreux convention, which regulates and limits ship traffic and transportation fees in the Bosphorus. They also state that it will harm the environment and freshwater resources in the area. However, there’s been word going around that the government halted the projects after recent court rulings canceled zoning plans.

In response to a query about the state of the project from the daily BirGün, The Transport and Infrastructure Ministry confirmed that work is ongoing. The ministry stated that engineering studies for the project are complete, zoning plans are underway, and construction on transportation structures along the canal route has begun in phases.

There are only two weeks left till the local elections and things are getting heated… On Thursday the 14th, Murat Kurum, the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP’s Istanbul mayoral candidate, vowed to construct the Sefaköy-Avcılar-Beylikdüzü metro line, aiming to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance public transportation. However, there’s a catch. The metro line is the current Municipality’s project, led by the opposition Republican People’s Party or CHP, but the government has not authorized it. The whole situation was put into question as the government might have not authorized the project because the opposition put it forward.

In response, Özgür Çelik, the head of the CHP Istanbul organization, criticized that the government refused authorization for the project, accusing them of prioritizing political gain over the well-being of Istanbul's populace.

Still on elections… On Saturday the 16th, during the opening ceremony of a metro line in Istanbul, a woman in the audience interrupted Mayor İmamoğlu's speech by raising a Quran and shouting, "You are a liar." İmamoğlu, a member of the CHP, urged her to calm down and offered to accept the Quran if she intended to give it as a gift. He expressed concern for her, stating that slandering with the Holy Quran in hand is a grave sin, and invoked blessings for her during Ramadan. He stated that the ruling AKP deceived the woman with religion. İmamoğlu criticized the woman, along with politicians from the ruling AKP, including President Erdoğan, for using Islamic symbols and the Quran for political gain. He vowed to help those deceived by such tactics. The police later escorted the woman away from the area.

On Sunday the 17th, during his party’s congress, Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the Nationalist People’s Party, or MHP, urged President Erdoğan not to step down after his term ends, following Erdoğan's statement that the upcoming local elections would be his last. He passionately emphasized Erdoğan's importance as a leader and literally begged him not to leave the nation alone. His plea was called into question, as many found it rather pathetic. A man in his late seventies basically worshiping another man is not a usual view.

More on politics… on Sunday the 17th, Ahmet Türk, a veteran Kurdish politician, stated that Erdoğan was the key to resolving the problems the Kurdish minority faces in Turkey regarding their identities— that is, the freedom to speak and learn their own language, celebrating their own cultural festivities, among others.. He implied that if the Kurdish people wanted to have their problems resolved, they should vote for Erdoğan, that is, the AKP. However, many also argue that Erdoğan has been in power for the last two decades, and if he had wanted to do something, he would have.

Türk further stressed the importance of peace through dialogue, dismissing armed conflict as futile. He criticized the AKP’s alliance with the ultra-nationalist MHP, seeing it as a hindrance to progress.

For the last few weeks, footage of alleged money counting at the CHP Istanbul Provincial Presidency has circulated. The ruling party, as well as the Justice Minister took special interest in the footage. They were quick to jump to conclusions. They said that the footage showed money laundering and made it look like the opposition was getting money illegally, urging authorities to launch an investigation into it. However, the ruling party’s move was put into question, as many criticized their interest, stating that it was none of their business and they were making up things to make the CHP look bad ahead of the elections.

Well, to clear the air, the Justice minister clarified that it was not their place to instruct the judiciary. Regarding the origin of the money, he mentioned that the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club President, also a municipal council member, said he received it and that he sought assistance from another individual for security reasons. The investigation is still ongoing, but it looks like nothing will come out of it.

In other news… Recall that the Islamic New Welfare Party, previously a member of the ruling People’s Alliance, announced it would shield its own candidates in the elections instead of supporting the ruling AKP’s candidates following disagreements with the ruling party. They said that the AKP was taking the New Welfare Party for granted and wasn’t acting according to their agreement. The two parties had a falling out after the AKP refused to support the New Welfare in the local election by withholding its own candidates in some districts.

In this atmosphere, on Sunday the 17th, during a rally organized as part of the Welfare Party's local election campaign in Karabük, Fatih Erbakan, the leader of the Welfare Party, criticized the government for its lack of effective action on Gaza. He further stated that he was ashamed that his government was providing barbed wire to Israel, which they use to prevent Muslims from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a significant landmark for Muslims. He questioned whether it is fitting for the descendants of the Ottoman Empire, who were historically the guardians of Palestine, to behave this way. He expressed dismay over Turkey's continued trade with Israel while neglecting humanitarian aid to Palestine. Many believe that his criticism stems from an electoral rivalry, as while the party was an ally of the government, it overlooked such things.

Moving on to the economy… On Saturday the 16th, Turkey's central bank increased the maximum interest rate on credit card cash withdrawals from 4.42 percent to 5 percent. This change aims to make borrowing with credit cards less appealing than other loan types. Hakan Kara, who used to be the chief economist at the central bank, praised the decision, saying it's a good move even though it's late.

Recently, politicians have been pushing for transparency in declaring their assets. Turgut Altınok, the AKP's mayoral candidate, has joined this trend in response to public demand. Initially, Altınok attributed all his assets to God, attempting to deflect inquiries. However, this tactic wasn't effective, leading him to eventually disclose his assets, which amount to millions. However, he didn’t have any recent additions to his assets. This led to some people speculating that he was concealing some of his assets under different companies. In response, he emphasized that the discussions about his wealth were attempts to overshadow the projects and services he plans to offer in Ankara. He assured the public that his assets were legitimate and that he inherited most of his assets from his family.

s have partially deciphered a: 2100

And that’s it for this week!

Remember, if you want people to admire and respect you, or you want to get a great present for somebody you care about, or you just want to help us, buy one of our really cool and environmentally friendly T-shirts! They are made of 100% unbleached organic cotton, grown and ginned in Texas, spun and knit in the Carolinas, and sewn and printed in Missouri. To buy one, follow the link in our show notes.

Hoşça kalın!